Engine-starter.



A. G. MORGAN.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLTGATION FILED JULY 31,1912.

Patented June 24, 1913.

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wi tmeooeo A. G. MORGAN.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21, 1912 3 MW w. m t m Am 6% m %MU W0 Z2 7 NH fl w 7/ a. m A m 4, .m X \d\ fi l f Z 4 J w a I x. 5 w 6 m%6 M AUGUST 0. MORGAN, or GROOM, TEXAS.

ENGINE-STARTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 24, 1913.

Application filed July 31, 1912. Serial No. 712,551.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, AUGUST C. MORGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Groom, in the county of Carson and State of Texas, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Engine-Starters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in engine starters for automobiles and more particularly to a foot starting device and my object is to providea device which, by mere pressure of the feet of the operator, on foot pedals will start the motor.

A further object of the invention resides in providing a connection for disposing the crank handle shaft in engagement with the crank shaft and an independent connection for rotating said crank handle shaft and crank shaft.

A further object of the invention resides in providing a device which is' extremely simple and durable in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and one which will be very efiicient and useful in operation.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

In theiaccompanying drawings forming a part of this application, Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section showing my improved device applied to an automobile. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the operatin means for the crank handle shaft. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section as seen on line 33, Fig. 1, looking forwardly. Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse section as seen on line 4-4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section as seen on line 5-5, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the locking dogs; and Fig. 7 .is a similar view of the other locking dog.

In describing my invention, I shall refer to the drawings in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views and inwlnch- 1 indicates the frame of an automobile of any desired type having the engine 2 properly mounted therein and extending through the front of the machine below the the same in such position.

' radiator thereof, is the usualcrank handle shaft 3 -Which is adapted to be engaged with the crank shaft at of the motor by the usual clutch mechanism 5. My'improved device contemplates the rotation of this crank handle shaft and crank shafbfrom' the seat of the automobile. The crank handle is not mounted directly on the shaft-3, but is separated therefrom s s-shown at. 6,-the free end of said shaft '3'beingv designed square in cross section, so as to readily receive the socket portion of said crank.

Fulcrumed intermediate of its ends, on a bracket 7 which is carried on ithe frame of the vehicle, is a lever 8 i i ch extends through a slot 9 in the foot board of the vehicle to be readily operate by the. foot forward end of the frame, the upper ,end.

of said lever or arm 11 being provided with a yoke or the'like 12 which'is loosely engaged with the crank handle shaft 3 in. the

rear of the clutch 5 thereon. The usual spring 13 encircling the crank handle shaft 3 normally retains the clutch '5 in its ineffective position and by placing the foot on the free end of the lever 8,- and pressing forwardly thereon, the lever" 11 will be drawn rearwardly to correspondingly draw the crank handle shaft 3 rearwardly, Whereby the clutch 5 will be effectively disposed. In order to retain the clutch 5 in its effective position, a ratchet 14 is formed in the one side of the slot 9, while the one side of the lever is beveled or' similarly designed, as shown at 15 to be readilyv received in the teeth of the. ratchet. Thus when the'clutchhas been effectively positioned, the lever may be engaged with the ratchet teeth to retain Also fulcrumed on the frame 1, is an additional foot lever and engaged with a grooved wheel 21, which is loosely mounted on the crank handle shaft 3. This wheel has one face thereof cut away as shown at 22 and substantially telescoped within this cut away portion thereof and fitting snugly therewithin, is an additional Wheel 23 which is also loosely mounted on the shaft 3. The wheel 23 is held inner face of the wheel 21, is a pawl 27, the

one end of which is provided with a tooth 28 adapted to cooperate with the teeth 26 and; a leaf springi29 mounted on the inner face'of said wheel 21 engages the pawl 27 to the one side of its pivot point to normall-y retain said tooth 28 in effective enga ement-with the teeth 26. The opposite en of the pawl 27 is adapted to engage the teeth of an additional ratchet or the like 30 which iskeyed to the shaft 3 and fro-m this construction it will be seen that as the wheel 21 is caused to rotate in one direction, said shaft 3 will also be caused to rotate.

Engaged with the wheel 21 is one end of a flat faced .coil spring 31, the opposite end of said spring-being engaged with the flexible connection 18, whereby it will be appreciated that when said connection has been foiice turned to rotate the wheel, said wheel will be again returned to its initial position, thereby winding the connection 18 thereon.

This spring 31, will, therefore, take up the slack, in the connection 18, after the same has once been drawn anda coil spring 32,

engaged at its one end with the lower end of the lever 16 and at its opposite end to the frame 1, will dispose said lever to its initial position after having been once operated.

From the construction shown and described, it will be appreciatedthat after the lever 8 has once been pressed forward to effectively engage the clutch 5, it will only be necessary to force the lever 1.6 forwardly,

which action willrotate the wheel 21 and cause the shafts 3 and 4 to be'rotated in view of the ratchets 26 and 30 and the pawl 27. When the motor has once been started, the shaft 3 will be disengaged with the shaft 4 in the usual' manner and should it be found, for any reason whatsoever, that the device will not operate, it will be appreciatednthat the same may be operated by means of the crank 6 in the ordinary manner.- As .often happens upen the cranking of the motor, the engine will back-fire and to compensate for this action, the outer l sneer face of the wheel 23is provided with ratchet teeth 33 which are adapted to be engaged by the dogs 3 carried on the frame 1, when it is attempted to rotate said wheel 22 counto be rotated freely and independentlv of the other parts of the device.

From the foregoing description of the construction of my improved device, the operation thereof will be readily understood and it will be seen that I have provided an improved engine starter for automobiles which may be readily operated by the driver from the seat of the vehicle. It will further be seen that I have provided a device which is extremely simple and durable in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and one which will be very efficient and useful in operation.

While I have particularly described the elements best adapted to perform the functions set forth, it is obvious. that various. changes in form, proportion and. in the minor details of construction may beresorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the principles of the invention.

Having thus described this invention, what I claim is .1. In an engine starter, the combination with a shaft; of a wheel loosely mounted thereon, a ratchet wheel carried on saidshaft and adapted to rotate therewith, an additional ratchet wheel also loosely mounted on said shaft and provided with internally arranged teeth, a pivoted pawl carried on said .wheel'and adapted to normally engage the teeth of said ratchet wheels, ai d means to rotate the first mentioned .wheel, whereby said shaft will also be rotated. l

2. In an engine starter, the combination with a shaft; of a wheel loosely mounted thereon, said wheel being provided with a cavity on the one fa e thereof, a ratchet wheel carried on said shaft and dis osed within the cavity of said wheel, an a ditional ratchet wheel loosely mounted on the shaft and also disposed within the cavity of said first men tioned wheel, said latter ratchet wheel being provided with internally arranged teeth directed similar to the teeth of the other ratchet wheel, a pivoted pawl carried on the being normally adapted to reteeth of said ratchet f" e of the first mentioned wheel, the I wheels, and means to rotate said first mentioned wheel.

3. In an engine starter, the combination with a shaft; of a wheel loosely mounted thereon, a ratchet wheel carried on said shaft and adapted to rotate therewith, an additional ratchet wheel loosely mounted on said shaft and provided with internally arranged teeth, means carried on said first mentioned wheel and adapted for normal engagement with the teeth of said ratchet whee s, means to rotate said first mentioned wheel clockwise to correspondingly rotate said shaft therewitl1,'and additional means to prevent the rotation of said additional ratchet wheel counter-clockwise.

4. In an engine starter, the combination with a frame and a shaft rotatably mounted thereon; of a wheel loosely mounted on said shaft, a ratchet wheel carried on the shaft and adapted for rotation therewith, an additional ratchet wheel loosely mounted on said shaft and provided with internally arranged teeth, means carried on said first mentioned wheel adapted to cooperate with the teeth of said ratchet wheels, to rotate the latter upon the rotation of the former, means to rotate said first; mentioned wheel, laterally extending ratchet teeth carried on the outer face of said additional ratchet wheel, and a pair of dogs carried on said frame and adapted for engagement with saidlaterally extending teeth to prevent the counter-clockwise movement of said additional ratchet wheel when the shaft is rotated counter-clodkwise.

5. In an engine starter, the-combination with a shaft; of a drum loosely mounted thereon, a ratchet wheel carried'on the shaft and disposed within said drum, a revoluble member loosely disposed in said drum,

means carried on said drum cooperating 'with said ratchet wheel and said loosely mounted member to rotate said shaft upon the rotation of said drum in one direction,

means to rotate said drum in one direction, and additional means to prevent the rotation of said revoluble member therein in the opposite direction.

6. In an engine starter, the combination with a frame, and a shaft rotatably mounted thereon; of a drum loosely mounted on said shaft, a ratchet wheel carried on the shaft within said drum, an additional ratchet wheel loosely and revolubly mounted within said drum, means carried on' the drum adapted to cooperate with the teeth of said ratchet wheels to rotatethe latter upon the rotation of the former, laterall extending ratchet teeth formed on the peripheral edge of the additionalratchet wheel, and a pair of yielding dogs carried on said frame onv opposite sides of said shaft and adapted for engagement with said lastmentioned teeth to prevent the counter-clockwise movement of said additional ratchet wheel.

7. In an engine starter, the combination with a shaft; of a drum loosely mounted thereon, a ratchet wheel carried on said shaft and disposed within said drum, an additional ratchet wheel loosely and revolubly disposed in said drum, said additional ratchet, wheel being provided with a peripheralflange, means on said drum cooperating with the flange for retaining the additional ratchet wheel in position in the drum, means carried by said drum cooperating with said ratchet wheels for rotating the shaft upon the rotation of said drum in one direction, and means cooperating with said additional ratchet wheel to prevent the rotation of the same in the opposite direction.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

AUGUST C. MORGAN. Witnesses:

C. L. MCCLELLAN, WM. WINEINGER. 

